Agility
Introduction to Agility: Introduction to Agility will focus on basic obedience and dog handling skills. It will offer a fundamental introduction to agility terminology and some of the agility equipment. The class will work on developing the dog’s body awareness, building play and developing teamwork. A previous basic obedience class is recommended.
Beginning Agility: Beginning Agility will prepare the dog/handler team to develop the necessary skills to perform in the sport of agility. In this class, the teams will begin to work on contacts, tire, and jumps and learn to use verbal and physical cues to assist in the performance of skills.
Beginning Contacts & Weaves for Competitors: Beginning Contacts & Weaves is designed for the handler/dog team needing to improve their skills for agility competition. This class is limited to teams planning for agility competitions. Pre-requisite: Handler/Dog team successfully completed SDOC Beginning Agility and Dog is physically mature enough to do weaves
Foundations of Agility I: Foundations of Agility I will transition the dog/handler teams to full height contacts. Emphasis will be placed on jumping skills, weaves, and short sequences.
Foundations of Agility II: Foundations of Agility II will focus on building stronger weave skills, and learning the crosses (front, rear, blind etc.) to be utilized in longer sequencing. Additional jump work to include turns over jumps, directionals and obstacle discrimination.
Competition Agility I: Competition Agility I is designed for the dog/handler team preparing to trial at the Novice level. Emphasis will be placed on challenging weave pole entries, serps and threadles. Sequencing will be at the Novice/Open level, preparing the teams for competition at an agility trial.
Competition Agility II: Competition Agility II is designed for the dog/handler teams who are seeking to excel at the Open/ Excellent levels. Advanced skills, course analysis and full course sequencing will be practiced.
Master Agility: Skills / Drills: Master Agility will allow dog/handler teams to learn advance techniques, enhance course analysis skills and practice sequences at the master/premier level.
Obedience
Obedience – Kindergarten Puppy Training (KPT) Class: Socialize your puppy with people and other puppies and expose them to new experiences. Puppies are introduced to basic exercises such as sit, down and walking nicely on a loose leash using motivational methods. You'll have an opportunity to discuss problems you may encounter with a knowledgeable instructor. These include house breaking and chewing as well as other training issues. Available to puppies 6 months and younger.
Obedience – CGC Class: This is a four-week class and will help you pass the Canine Good Citizen Test which is given during the last class. You will have a chance to practice each exercise on the CGC test and thereby build the confidence of you and your dog. Your dog should already know how to sit, down, stay and come to you as this is not a teaching class.
Obedience – Basic Novice Class: The objective of the Basic Novice class is to teach basic obedience and to develop a well schooled, happy and obedient family pet. Dogs must be at least 6 months old to be entered in this class. Dogs that have completed the KPT class may be younger. Dogs will be taught controlled walking, coming when called, sit-stay, down-stay and stand for examination. Responsible dog ownership and grooming will be discussed.
Obedience – Intermediate Novice Class: The goal of this class is to teach and refine those exercises listed as novice exercises in the AKC Obedience Regulations. Dogs enrolled must have a working knowledge of the Basic Novice exercises. Heeling, sit and down stays, figure 8s, fronts, and finishes will all be addressed.
Obedience – Novice Drill: The goal of this class is to prepare dogs to compete in the Novice class at AKC Obedience trials, to train handlers in trial procedure and to enhance Novice skills. This is a drop in class which dogs may attend when they are ready.
Obedience – Beginning Open Class: The goal of the open class is to teach those foundation skills needed for Open Exercises in the AKC Obedience Regulations. In addition to heeling, these include command discrimination, retrieve on flat, retrieve over jump, drop on recall, broad jump, and stand stay. Dogs must have Basic Novice skills to participate.
Obedience – Intermediate Open Class: Dogs enrolled in this class must have completed a Beginning Open class or its equivalent. The goal of this class is to combine the foundation skills into Open exercise in the AKC Obedience regulations.
Obedience – Open Drill: The goal is to prepare dogs to compete in the Open class at AKC trials, to train handlers in trial procedures and to perfect the performance of dogs and handlers. Dogs attending must have a basic knowledge of all Open exercises. This is a drop in class which dogs may attend when ready.
Obedience – Beginning Utility Classes: The goal of this class is to teach foundation skills needed for Utility Exercises in the AKC regulations. These skills include signals, scent work, and taking direction. Dogs must have a solid retrieve in order to participate in this class.
Obedience – Intermediate Utility Class: Dogs enrolled in this class must have completed a Beginning Utility class or its equivalent. The goal of this class is to combine the foundations skills into the Utility exercises in the AKC Obedience Regulations.
Obedience – Utility Drill: The goal is to prepare dogs to compete in the Utility class at AKC Trials, to train handlers in trial procedure and to enhance the performance of dogs and handlers. The Instructor may schedule and conduct activities that will provide practical trial experience for the dog and handler under competitive conditions.
Obedience – Super Drill: The goal is to prepare dogs and handlers for competition in any level of classes offered at an AKC Obedience trial. Training for competition at all advanced levels. The instructor may schedule and conduct activities that will provide practical trial experience for a dog and handler under competitive conditions. Activities conducted may also include those that allow dog and handler to exhibit the usefulness of obedience training other than those required by the AKC Obedience regulations. Super drill may be considered a series of "mini clinics" and is a drop in class which dogs may attend at any time.
Tricks: During this beginning/novice tricks class you and your dog will learn a variety of tricks that will: engage your dog's mind and provide great mental exercise for her/him, provide a physical outlet for your dog's energy, build an even stronger bond between you and your dog, add variety to your training, enable you to impress your family and friends with your amazingly talented dog, and will be lots of fun for dogs of all ages. The instructor for the class is a Certified Trick Dog Instructor and is also an approved AKC CGC Evaluator, so if you are also interested in earning AKC Novice or Intermediate Trick Dog Titles, you may also work toward that goal during the classes.
Tracking
Tracking – Introduction: The basic skills a tracking dog needs are to follow the ground scent of a tracklayer and locate, then indicate, articles the tracklayer has dropped. This four-week class starts the "nose down" behavior that leads to following ground scent (Search) and also starts targeting of articles (Locate) and finally the behaviors that tell his handler he has found the article (Report).
Rally
Please note: Obedience Basic Novice class is REQUIRED prior to taking Rally Novice class
Rally - Novice (6-week class): The class will focus on the novice exercises. There will be “mini” practice courses each week. The dog must have basic obedience skills such as sit, down, stand, stay, and walk easily on a leash for this class. Prerequisite: Obedience Basic Novice class.
Rally - Advanced and Intermediate Rally (6-week class): Students will work on all levels of rally through the Advanced and Intermediate exercises. It will include proper footwork and other fine tuning needed prior to entering rally competition. There will be “mini” practice courses each week. Participants should have completed the Novice rally course or equivalent.
Rally - Excellent Rally (8-week class): Students will work on all levels of rally with emphasis on the Excellent exercises. It will include proper footwork and other fine tuning needed prior to entering rally competition. There will be “mini” practice courses each week. Participants should have completed the beginning Advanced course or equivalent.
Rally - Masters Rally (8-week class): Students will work on all levels of rally with emphasis on the Masters exercises. It will include proper footwork and other fine tuning needed prior to entering rally competition. There will be “mini” practice courses each week. Participants should have completed the Excellent rally course or equivalent.
Rally - Competition (8-week class): This class will cover all aspects of how to be competitive in all levels of Rally (from Novice to Masters), from preparation for you and your dog prior to attending a show through ribbons including physical and mental preparation, pre-show preparation, show site routine, ring preparation, map interpretation, and walking the course. Focus will be on very challenging Rally courses and techniques to run them successfully. Students will be expected to be familiar with all Rally signs through the level they expect to compete in.
Rally – Drill: There will be courses for all levels.
Rally Free: This class will cover the basics of Rally Free. Rally Free is similar to Rally Obedience (i.e., dog/handler teams move through a series of stations), except the skills performed are freestyle skills (turns/spins, leg weaves, play bow, paw shakes, circle the handler, working on all four sides – left, right, front, and back). Also, there are “free choice” stations in Rally Free, so you can be creative and use skills unique to your dog! Dogs in the class should be able to do at least basic obedience skills (sit, down, come, walking on a loose leash).
Scent Work
Scent Work 1: Use clicker to shape behaviors. The dog will learn to work away from handle with a passive alert using an odor cocktail (combination of all 6 competition odors - birch, anise, clove, myrrh, vetiver & cypress). We will add duration to the alert and strengthen the odor indication under mild distractions. This is a homework driven class so multiple training sessions at home are required to make progress. An equipment fee will be required for this class.
Scent Work 2: (Pre-requisite Scentwork 1) The dog will continue to strengthen the passive alert using the cocktail under more distractions and with the addition distance. We will start simple container searches and introduce the skills need to perform interior, exterior and vehicle hides. We will begin to discuss handler skills and search strategies. This is a homework driven class so multiple training sessions at home are required to make progress.
Scent Work 3: (Pre-requisite Scentwork 2) We build on odor obedience with stronger distractions. We will continue to work on interior and competition container searches. Exterior and buried searches will be introduced. Odors will be separated in preparation for competition. We will build on previous handler skills and search strategies. This is a homework-driven class so multiple training sessions are required to progress.
Scent Work 4: (Pre-requisite Scentwork 3) Getting ready for competition! All searches (interior, exterior, container, buried and vehicle) will be practiced with heavy distractions including complex and inaccessible hides. Trial tips and rules will be covered including mock trials with blind hides and all single odors.
Scent Work 5: (Pre-requisite Scentwork 4) Getting ready for competition! All searches (interior, exterior, container, buried and vehicle) will be practiced with heavy distractions including complex and inaccessible hides. Trial tips and rules will be covered including mock trials with blind hides and all single odors.
Scent Work - Drill: Additional practice of container, interior, exterior, vehicle and buried searches.
Conformation
Conformation: Conformation class is for anyone who wants to show their dogs to try for championship points at conformation shows. It is for any level, from total beginner to seasoned veteran. Whatever your skill level, we'll start there and build, or if you are totally finished product as a handler, we will give your dog the experience he/she needs to be comfortable with the show.
We will cover basic skills like hand stack, free stack, gaiting (the usual patterns are down and back, triangle, and around the perimeter of the ring), baiting, being comfortable with the judge's examination, showing the judge the dog's teeth, and giving expression. We will work with each dog-and-handler team to give them the skills needed for a polished performance.